Combined retaining weight and deodorizer for garbage can covers



p 1963 w. v. LUNDQUIST 3,102,561

COMBINED RETAINING WEIGHT AND DEODORIZER FOR GARBAGE CAN COVERS FiledAug. 22, 1960 United States Patent 3,102,661 COMBINED RETAINING WEIGHTAND DEODOR- IZER FOR GARBAGE CAN CQVERS Wilbur V. Lundquist, 2209 W. 91/2 St., Minneapolis 31, Minn. Filed Aug. 22, 1960, Ser. No. 51,070 1Claim. (Cl. 220-87) This invention relates to garbage cans and othercontainers having readily removable lids or covers, and has particularapplication to a device which will both prevent displacement or removalof the cover from the container by winds, animal displacements or othercauses and which will also supply to the top of the garbage can orcontainer beneath the cover, a supply of a chemical adapted to deodorizeand/or disinfect (the upper contents of the can.

At the present time most garbage cans and other containers holdingrubbish or waste material are provided with lids or covers which veryloosely fit the upper edges of the container proper, telescoping inshallow relation therewith. Such lids too (frequently are displaced byhigh winds or by dogs or other animals, domestic and wild, lifting uponone edge of the cover to tilt and displace the same. Garbage cans andthe like, particularly when substantially full of waste material andgarbage, produce unpleasant odors and contamination in the areas whereinthey are supported.

It is an object or my invention to provide a combined retainin weightand deodorizer integrally formed in preferably a unitary device orelement which will be effective to prevent displacement of the cover bywind and manipulation by domestic and/or wild animals and which willalso act as a deodorizer or disinfectant or both for the upper stratumof the contents of the garbage can and particularly the air space justbelow the cover.

More specifically it is an object to provide a combined retaining weightand deodorizer holder and distributor for garbage can covers and thelike which may be very readily and inexpensively applied to conventionalgarbage can covers and analogous container lids and which preferably issecured to and supported from the centermost portion of the garbage cancover through retaining means preferably of a clamping nature, having anelement projecting through the can cover and threaded into a retainingsocket of the weight device; and having also in combination with the cancover, a passage for replenishing and supplying a liquid or [granulardeodorizing chemical through the dished portion of the weight member fordissemination and/ or distribution to the contents of the can just below(the cover.

A further and more specific object is the provision of a simple,comparatively inexpensive combination device of the class describedwherein the weight member and retainer for deodorizer will not interferewith the loading or dumping of the garbage can and wherein the devicemay be readily attached by unskilled users without special tools.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more [fullyappear from the following description made in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to thesame or similar parts throughout the several views in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section taken through the upper portion of aconventional garbage can having the usual cover superimposed thereon andwith an embodiment of my combined retaining weight and deodorizerapplied to the cover in operative position;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the combined retaining weight anddeodorizer detached (and on a larger scale);

FIG. 3 is a vertical section (taken through an alternative form of myinvention; and i FIG. 4 is a similar vertical section of a secondalternative form of the invention, wherein a positive seal is madethroughout the upper peripheral edge of the weight member and the bottomside of the central cover portion.

upper peripheral edge of can C which usually terminates in a reinforcingbead C-l.

The lid or cover L, in conventional garbage cans very loosely fits theupper open endof the can so that it may be readily superimposed thereonand will not stick or cause difficulty in fitting, through bulges orencnustment at the upper end of the can. Consequently, in conventionalgarbage cans and other analogous containers'the covers =or lids L areeasily displaced and removed through high winds and also, bymanipulative effort of domestic animals such as dogs and often, in ruralareas, by wild animals, such as skunks, raccoons, bear and the like.

The form of my invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a relativelyheavy, integral retaining weight.

. and deodorizer indicated as an entirety by the number 5 of circularand general dished shape, having as shown a central upstanding boss 5awhich terminates at its upper end in a plane slightly above theperipheral upper edge 5b of the dished body 5. The boss 5a is axiallytapped from the upper end thereof to provide a threaded socket 50 forreception of a clamping screw 6 which in attachment, passes through anaperture 7 formed centrally in the top of the can cover or lid L. Areinforcing plate or washer 8 is interposed between the head 6a of thescrew and the central portion of the lid L bearing in substantial area,against the sheet metal of the central portion of the lid.

The upper peripheral edge 5b of the dished, circular weight anddeodorizer member is provided with elongated, shallow recessed portions5d extending between the upstanding peripheral lid-engaging portions 5eto form venting apertures for permitting volatile fumes from thedeodorant or disinfectant to be transmitted to the underside of thegeneral area of the lid L. The edges 5b are formed to abut and seatabainst the appropriate portions of the underside of the can cover tosubstantially seal and seat thereagainst, durther reinforcing the lidwhen the member 5 is clamped and secured in the position shown in FIG.1.

I prefer to employ, in the structure of FIGS. 1 and 2, a ring or collar9 which may be constructed of plastic, rubber or metal and which issecured by cement orother means ltO the upper portion of the dishproper, forming an overhanging ledge to prevent spilling of liquidcontents of the dish portion when the lid L is taken off from thegarbage can to load material into the can or to dump the can. Theaperture 7 and the screw 6 are preferably applied to the garbage cancover or lid in a position below the conventional handle H of the lid.

A filling and replenishing passage 10 is formed in the central portionof the lid L, as shown to one side or just below the handle H, throughwhich liquid .or granular chemical material either in liquid or solidform, may be introduced and will drop into the annular dish containerformed by the body member 5.

The weighted member 5 may vary in accordance of course with the generaldimensions of the can, from say 7 2 /2 pounds to 8 pounds.

retaining weight and deodorizer tor the covers or lids of garbage cansand like containers. 1 The structure enables the lid to be retainedagainst displacement through the usual objectionable sources nowprevalent. My structure offers no impediments to the charging ordischanging oi the garbage, can and enables the odor which usually ispresent in garbage cans, to be minimized by application andrdistributionof fumes most advantageously in the dome portion of the can cover or lidL.

In FIG. 3, an alternative embodiment of the invention is shown whereinthe body identified as an entirety by the numeral is provided with anenlarged boss member 5m which also acts as a small reservoir orcontainer 5r to hold liquid deodorant or antiseptic. The interior of thelarge boss 5m is threaded at 52 to receive the ex+ ternally threaded,tubular collar 11a of the clamping nut -11, having an axial chargingpassage 11b formed therethrough. The body member or dished weight 5 issecured to the under central portionpot the can cover L in the mannerpreviously described with reference to the dorm-oi FIGS. 1 and 2, andthe peripheral upper edge 5a of the body member 5, are related with theupper end of the boss 5m to abut and be disposed in reinforcing relationagainst the under-side of the lid L when the device .is clamped inattached position.

:In this last mentioned form, the lower portions of the I enlanged boss5m are provided with outwardly tapered 1iquid-dischange passages 5p,three or four in number, in,

which small sponge elements S are inserted to permit gradual drippingand communication of the deodorizer liquid or antiseptic, through saidpassages and into the dished portion or the body member 5.

In FIG. 4 another alternative form of the invention is provided whichhas high eflicieney to prevent spilling of liquid deodorizer materialwithin the dished weight when the cover is removed and tilted. In thisform the body member 5 is provided with a boss 5a similar to the firstform described, interconnected and supported from the central portion ofthe can :cover or lid L by a screw 6 and the screw reinforced by awasher or plate 8.

' The peripheral edge 5b of this last mentioned form is of uniformheight and is provided with a concentric annular lgroove 5g in which isseated and secured as by cement, an enlarged O-ring 12 which inoperative positioning of the body 5 [forms a tight seal against theunderside of a circular Zone of the lid L. A filling and replenishingpassage is provided in the cover similar to the passage shown in theform first described.

The liquid deodorizer or antiseptic X is disposed within the dishedannular portion of the body 5 and is dripped or dispensed through anumber of downwardly tapered passages 13 from circumferentially spacedpoints on the overall structure has the dual iunctions of supplying asufficien-tly heavy weight and centering device to prevent the coverfrom being displaced by the usual causes and also to entice as aretainer and distributor ifOI deodorizing and disinfiecting chemicals.

It will of course be understood that various changes may be made in theform, details, arrangement and proportions of the. 'various pantswithout departing irom the scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

In combination with a garbage can cover having a down-turned peripheralflmge for telescopically surrounding the upper end of a :garbagecontainer, a symmetrical heavy weight member having a peripheral areasubstantially smaller than that or" the cover and constructed of heavy,metallic material having a thickness substantially in excess to that ofthe cover,

and provided with a heavy central upstanding solid boss and a peripheralupstanding flange having a thickened upper end portion,

means en'gageable with the upper end of said boss and extending throughthe central portion of said cover for securing said weight membersubstantially centrally below said cover,

said weight member having a dished interior constituting a reservoir fora chemical such as a deodorizer or disinfectant, and a passage extendingthrough said cover and commun-icating with the dished interior of saidweight member for supplying a chemical deodorant thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,221,808 Witte Apr. 3, 1917 1,335,645 Benson Mar. 30, 1920 1,495,368Witte et al. May 27, 1924 1,656,015 Radclifie Jan. 10, 1928 1,682,491Egan Aug. 23, 1928 1,844,509 Johnson Feb. 9, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS704,608 France Feb.25, 1931

